


Animal Instinct

by ZsGurl



Series: White Flag [10]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/M, Flirting, Jealous Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Levi is jealous, handsome garrison officer, i'm a horse person, yes there is smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:55:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27584408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZsGurl/pseuds/ZsGurl
Summary: It's Levi's turn to be jealous. A handsome Garrison captain visits the Survey Corps and is interested in Angel. How will Levi handle it?
Relationships: Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: White Flag [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1867147
Comments: 10
Kudos: 44





	1. Born in Blood

**Author's Note:**

> Thank everyone so much for coming along on my journey as my math brain learns how to become a writer. It is a long slow process and I am really enjoying it. Your feedback and comments help so much! Please let me know what you think and offer suggestions!

Angel was enjoying a leisurely cup of tea in the mess hall after dinner, quietly listening to Eld and Gunter argue over whose turn it was to sweep the training room next. She was tired and her muscles ached pleasantly from working all day in the stables. Erwin had told her that they were expecting a visitor sometime this week, an officer from the Garrison, to come and talk to her about the horses and their training program. The Survey Corps stablemaster, Alex, was away visiting his new grandbaby, and since Angel spent so much of her spare time in the stables, working with the horses, it was decided that she was knowledgeable enough to show the Garrison officer around. She knew that Alex would be upset if his stables were not immaculate for visitors, so she had spent the day mucking stalls and cleaning tack.

Her attention drifted to Hanje and Nanaba’s conversation on her right. The women were speaking quietly, but Angel caught enough pieces of the conversation to gather they were discussing (or arguing) over which of the new trainees had the best ass. This was a regular pastime of the two women with each new training class and Angel had repeatedly tried to emphasize the not-quite-legal-age of the trainees, to no avail. There was even a book in the officer’s lounge that recorded the results, as voted upon by all the veterans of the Corps, and it went back many years. The military was known for its traditions, after all. One day, out of morbid curiosity (and much prodding by a smirking Hanje), Angel had flipped through the book. Unsurprisingly, Erwin had been voted the best ass of his class, and Mike had come in third place from his class. Eld had been second in his class, and Gunter had been a respectable sixth of the same class. She almost rolled her eyes at the memory of the book, and Hanje and Nanaba’s conversation, when one of the new trainees happened to walk by on his way out of the hall. What was his name……? Reiner? And she had to begrudgingly admit that he provided a lovely view as he walked away from her toward the door. She wondered where he ranked on their list. Not that she’d ever ask Hanje.

“Getting in on Hanje and Nanaba’s action?” Levi queried as he sat down next to her with a fresh cup of tea. Angel didn’t have to look at his face to see the smirk she knew was there.

Angel snorted, only slightly embarrassed at getting caught ogling a seventeen year old’s butt. “What do I need their silly list for, when I have access to the finest ass this side of Wall Maria?” With that, she discreetly slid her hand up the inside of Levi’s thigh, her feather light touch gliding farther up the inside of his bent leg as he sat relaxed with his ankle resting on the opposite knee. With a hot look from under his hair, he slammed his booted foot back down on the ground, effectively stopping her progress before she reached dangerous territory. “That’s not my ass,” he growled under his breath.

Angel just grinned at him, unrepentant.

“Don’t I know it. Besides, I think it’s a crime that your name isn’t in that book.”

“You know why; I was never part – “

Levi was interrupted by an exclamation by Hanje. “Holy shit, would you look at that!”

Angel, used to Hanje’s clamor, sighed as she turned to see what had Hanje excited this time.

Commander Smith had walked into the hall with a stranger by his side, deep in conversation. A very good looking stranger that had every female in the hall pause in whatever she was doing to admire his tall athletic frame and angelic face. Angel had to admit he was stunning. He had longish brown hair, with liberal amounts of gold streaking the shaggy waves, indicating a generous amount of time spent outdoors. His face was classically cut with a strong jaw and a straight nose, full generous lips that bespoke of an easy charm.

And they were headed toward Angel and her group. Angel’s heart sank, this must be the officer from the Garrison that she was supposed to work with over the next few days. Hanje and Nanaba ceased their conversation to watch Erwin and his companion approach. The stranger moved with the easy grace of someone completely confident in their abilities and their effect on people. He KNEW the whole mess hall was watching and he was comfortable with the attention.

“Everyone, this is Captain Riche Miller, from the Garrison. He’s here to see how we breed and train our horses as the Garrison is considering incorporating them more fully into their operations.” At this, Erwin began the introductions. “Riche, this is Captain Levi…” Levi nodded briefly, then continued drinking his tea. “Squad Leader Hanje Zoe,” who gave the handsome captain a large toothy grin, “Senior soldiers Nanaba, Eld, Gunter. And this is who you’ll be working with, Angel Hudson.”

At her introduction, Angel stood up and held out her hand to shake the captain’s. The captain stepped forward and took her hand, holding it in his warm grasp. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. The Commander has been extolling your virtues by the dozen, but he failed to mention how beautiful you are.” With that smooth line, he turned her hand over and placed a gallant kiss on her knuckles, lingering longer than polite.

Gunter elbowed Eld, “Shit just got interesting,” he whispered as he gave a nod in Levi’s direction.

Levi, who had dismissed the stranger soon after his introduction, now paused with his cup halfway to his lips and narrowed his eyes dangerously.

Angel heard Hanje snort as she extracted her hand from his grip and replied tersely, “Probably because it’s irrelevant.” She slid a dark glance over the stranger’s shoulder to Erwin, who shrugged unapologetically.

Riche, unused to being rebuffed, stepped back into her line of sight and caught her gaze with his warm brown eyes. His genuine smile made small lines fan out from those beautiful eyes, indicating that he smiled often. His smile revealed even white teeth with a tiny flaw, there was a small chip in his top front tooth. It was actually quite charming. Angel heard Nanaba sigh behind her.

“Beauty is always relevant as it brings joy to those who behold it, I assure you.”

Angel arched a brow sardonically at him. “Well, it doesn’t do you much good in the stables as the horses don’t care what you look like. Shall we get to work first thing in the morning?”

“I look forward to it,” Riche replied, flashing another melting smile in her direction as he headed off with Erwin. Angel glanced over at Hanje and Nanaba in time to see them admiring the captain’s backside as he walked off with the Commander. It really was a nice backside, Angel had to admit.

“Damn! That is a fine piece of man-flesh right there!” Hanje exclaimed. “I am envious of you, Angel-girl, for getting to spend the next few days working with THAT. I may have to come out to the stables for some special bonding time with my horse.” With that statement, she put little air quotes around “bonding time”, causing Angel to roll her eyes. “You better watch yourself, Levi,” Hanje taunted.

Levi didn’t even dignify her jab with a reply, and appeared completely unaffected as he resumed drinking his tea. But his steel grey eyes were locked on the retreating form of Captain Riche Miller as he walked out of the mess hall with Erwin.

The next morning Riche was sitting in the mess hall with Mike, Eld, and several other soldiers, enjoying an early breakfast. The sun had barely risen and its bright orange glow could be seen through the windows on the east side of the hall. Riche’s easy going demeanor quickly endeared him to his fellow soldiers and they were swapping stories of their time in the Training Corps when Angel walked in. She immediately headed over to their table to touch base with Riche.

“Just let me grab a quick bite and we’ll be off to the stables.” She turned and headed off to get some coffee and Riche admired the way her form-fitting riding clothes fit her figure as she walked away.

“Damn, that is a fine looking woman,” Riche proclaimed as he got up to refill his own cup.

Watching Riche walk away, Eld looked pointedly at Mike. “Someone needs to tell him.”

“Why me?” Mike sputtered. “I don’t want to get involved. Angel will take care of it herself. She’s a big girl and can handle it.”

Eld was not convinced. “You know the captain will kill him if he makes a move on her.” Eld smirked. “And you’re the senior officer here.”

“Fuck me.” Mike sighed.

Angel showed Riche the full training program for the horses, even knowing that the Garrison won’t have use for most of it. But she was rather proud of how the Corps managed to produce some of the most hearty and enduring horses in the military. Their training program was top notch and she enjoyed showing off the different techniques used to acclimate the horses to the ODM gear, titans, and to build up their endurance for the long range missions. They got to watch some of the younger horses being put through the titan training circuit, and another group of young horses being broke to saddle.

They were currently on horseback, heading up to the upper pastures to look at the mares with their young foals as they discussed the breeding program the Corps had set up. Survey Corps horses were specially bred for strength, endurance, and trainability. Horses were then evaluated at a young age to determine their ability to handle high-stress situations. All Corps horses went through a series of tests to determine their aptitude as mounts for soldiers, or for pulling the supply wagons.

Angel had been impressed with Riche’s knowledge throughout the day. He obviously knew horses as he had been raised on his family’s horse farm. Independent farms like Riche’s family’s used to supply the horses for the military, but the Corps had been breeding their own horses for the last twenty years as their requirements were very specific and it was easier to control the genetic factors themselves, as much as possible. But Riche’s family still provided the limited horses the Garrison was currently using.

The day was lovely, even if it was a little warm. The sky was clear and the sun was bright in a pale blue sky as they rode through the lush midsummer grass. Up ahead, they could see the field of mares with their foals frolicking in the warm sunshine. Several foals were laid out in the sweet smelling grass, enjoying an early afternoon nap as their moms hovered nearby protectively.

They had been talking about the specific bloodlines the Corps had been concentrating on to produce a higher endurance level when Riche suddenly switched the subject.

“So, your captain doesn’t mind you spending so much time with me? I would think he would be a little more possessive of a rare gem like you.” Riche dropped into a lull in the conversation.

Angel raised her brows at him, a little surprised at the personal turn to the conversation. How did her know about her association with Levi? He had only been here a day.

He answered her unspoken question. “Oh yes. I was warned to keep my hands to myself by multiple people this morning after I made a comment about how fine you looked in your riding breeches. They all seemed to be worried for my overall health.”

Angel blushed slightly at the compliment, but focused on the underlying question in his statement.

She looked him straight in the eye as she replied, “The captain has nothing to worry about.”

Riche nodded genially, conceding. “You can’t blame a guy for trying.”

Angel smiled, and then launched into a discussion about which bloodlines seemed more suited to what the Garrison was looking for in their horses. They had stopped at the edge of the field and were watching a couple of foals who were running in circles around their dams before suddenly stopping to investigate a vixen and her kits, who had emerged from their den to enjoy the warm summer day. The curious foals came nose-to-nose with the kits and insisted on following their new bushy-tailed friends across the meadow.

The rest of the afternoon passed pleasantly as they debated bloodlines and training regimens. It was late when they finally returned to headquarters, long after dinner, and their stomachs were growling as they realized how long ago lunch had been. Angel led the way through the darkened halls to the kitchen. The lower floor was quiet as most of the soldiers had headed to their private rooms and dormitories for the evening, engaging in various social activities such as card games or dice, or in more private one-on-one activities.

After lighting one of the lanterns hanging near the sink, Angel rummaged around in the pantry and icebox to find some leftovers, while Riche found the dishes and utensils. Finally, they had scrabbled together a suitable meal and were seated at the scarred wooden table with a pot of tea between them as they ate in the dim light. They enjoyed a companionable silence as they ate their fill. Eventually, their hunger was satisfied and Angel refilled their cups.

She liked Riche. He was intelligent and funny, and most importantly, good with horses. She had seen the way the other soldiers responded to him. Truthfully, he seemed like the type of soldier who would have joined the Survey Corps rather than the Garrison. It was widely recognized that it took a certain breed of person to join the Corps. Some called it bravery and a selfless desire to help humanity, others called it reckless stupidity. Whatever it was, Riche had that undefinable quality that ran through most members of the Corps.

“So what made you join the Garrison, if you don’t mind me asking?” Angel finally spoke into the gentle quiet that had settled in the kitchen after they had cleaned up their plates and sat back at the table enjoying a final cup of tea.

“My mom,” he replied with a wry twist of his lips. “I had always wanted to join the Survey Corps. But my father fell ill and died during my last year of training and my mom couldn’t stand the idea of me going outside the walls. She begged me to join the Military Police so I could stay safely in the Interior. At that time, she was running the farm single-handedly, and I couldn’t stand the thought of causing her further stress. But I also couldn’t tolerate the idea of working with those pompous assholes in the MP, so I compromised and joined the Garrison.”

Angel smiled. You had to like a guy who loved his mom. “Do you have any regrets?”

He looked at her over the brim of his cup as he took a drink. “Not until lately, no.”

Angel shook her head as she smiled at his insinuation. While he had taken her gentle refusal with good grace this morning, it hadn’t stopped him from casually flirting with her all day. She didn’t really think anything of it as it seemed to be something he did naturally, probably with every woman he met.

“Well, we had better turn in. Tomorrow, I want to show you how we train the horses to acclimate to the ODM gear. Good night, Riche.”

“Good night, Angel.”

With that, Angel headed out the kitchen and down the hall that led to the officers’ quarters while Riche turned toward the guest quarters.

She entered Levi’s office to find him seated at his desk, but facing the large window behind it, gazing out into the night. The room was dark except for a small candle on his desk. He didn’t turn around or acknowledge her entrance. Angel was used to his moody tendencies and didn’t think anything of it as she knew she would be able to break through whatever was on his mind with more physical contact later, after she had showered. She moved into their private quarters and headed into the washroom to take a quick shower. She was tired from her long day, but she had missed Levi and looked forward to the feel of his sleek muscles flexing under her hands.

After taking the most efficient shower possible and throwing on the bare minimum of clothing necessary for decency sake, she went back out to his office, only to find him with a pen in hand, pouring over some random reports.

She came to stand next to his chair as she slid her hand across his tense shoulders.

Running the fingertips of her other hand down his cheek, she leaned in to whisper in his ear, “I’m turning in…care to join me?”

Levi kept his eyes resolutely on the papers in front of him as he replied, “I have paperwork to do.”

Angel hid her disappointment and hurt at his curt response, and her dismay at the fact that he wouldn’t look at her. She withdrew her hands from him.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Go to bed.” He still wouldn’t look at her. Angel knew that he occasionally had emotional issues and she tried to give him the time and space that he needed to work things out. But this felt different. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but she backed away from him and retreated to the bedroom. As she settled into the comfort of their bed alone, the last thing she heard was the sound of the door as Levi headed out to walk the lonely halls of the castle.

He was also not there when she awoke early the next morning. As she quickly went through her morning ablutions, she wondered if she needed to delve deeper into what was bothering Levi, or wait until he brought it to a head himself. Experience told her that she had to wait until he worked it out on his own as Levi didn’t respond well to emotional pressure, so she left their rooms to meet Riche in the mess hall for breakfast.

Things continued along in this vein for several days. She spent the days with Riche either actively working with the horses through various training regimens, or pouring over the bloodlines and breeding programs in a quiet corner of the castle. Angel saw Levi less and less as he seemed to spend more time roaming the halls at night and took his meals in his office.

Finally, Riche’s visit was coming to an end. On his last day, however, he wanted to observe some of the training that the soldiers went through in the Corps, instead of focusing on the horses. So Angel led the way to the training grounds to see what was going on for the day.

When they arrived, Levi was working with some of the younger recruits on the finer points of hand-to-hand combat. Angel felt her body respond to the sight of Levi, stripped of his jacket and cravat, demonstrating a particularly difficult combination. Gods, she had missed him this last week. But she appreciated the grace of his muscular body as he worked with a couple of the trainees on their form. The warm day had all the soldiers sweating and Levi was no exception. She knew what his skin tasted like tinged with the salt of his sweat. Delicious. Her body grew warm at the thought, visualizing touching her tongue to the sweat sliding down the strong column of his throat or where the sweat pooled in the small of his back. She tried to catch his eye, but he resolutely ignored their presence on the edge of the sparring grounds. Until he didn’t.

He had been working with the trainees for a while when he suddenly turned to Riche. “Captain, we are all interested in seeing how the Garrison trains their top officers. Care to demonstrate?”

Angel was on the verge of holding Riche back. Some instinct was clamoring at her to stop whatever train wreck was about to happen. But Riche stepped forward, eager to participate, and perhaps demonstrate that the Garrison wasn’t a total joke, compared to the Survey Corps. Angel had a bad feeling.

As Riche and Levi faced off in the center of the trainees, Angel saw the predatory look in Levi’s eyes. Damn.

After several hits and misses by Riche, Angel, familiar with his fighting style, could tell that Levi was toying with the Garrison captain. She was about to put a stop to the whole thing when Riche ducked a kick from Levi and managed to land a solid punch to his side.

_Levi couldn’t believe his luck when Angel and the Garrison captain showed up at the training grounds. He had seen very little of Angel over the last few days as she had been spending all her time with Miller. That first night, he had headed down to the kitchen to put together a plate for Angel, thinking she would be hungry when she finally came in after her long dat, when he overheard the two of them talking over a cozy meal. He was ready to let his presence be known when Riche made an overtly suggestive comment. He fully expected Angel to put him in his place, but instead, her throaty laugh took Levi aback. Did she welcome the captain’s advances? As he withdrew and headed back to his office, anger and hurt warred with common sense as an unfamiliar pain blossomed in his chest. Goddamn it, how could she do this to him? Then small tendrils of insecurity took root and started to grow, whispering in his ear that it was only a matter of time before she moved on to someone more worthy, someone who could give her more than just a good fuck. By the time she walked through the door of the office a little while later, his well-honed self-preservation skills had kicked in and demanded he withdraw from her before she broke him completely._

_Irrationally, his anger had only escalated with each passing day that pushed him farther and farther from Angel. He had become a ghost in the halls of the fortress, occasionally observing moments between Angel and Miller as they had lunch in the mess hall, or working close together in discussion in one of the smaller lecture halls. At one point he thought his rage was finally going to break through when he saw Miller put his hands familiarly on her shoulders while relaying an amusing story to a crowd at dinner one night. But he managed to tamp it down as he passed through the mess hall and headed out to the maneuvering course. He had found he spent most of his spare time out on the training grounds, working his body to exhaustion._

_Several times Angel had tried to talk to him. However, he had managed to brush her aside, afraid that if he opened that door he wouldn’t be able to contain the emotional vomit that seethed inside him._

_Now, here he was with the handsome captain at his mercy on the sparring grounds. Outwardly, he maintained his normally cold and indifferent posture. But internally, he could feel the anger singing through his veins and lighting up the muscles of his body. He glanced at Angel and saw concern and worry in her expression. Was she worried for him (seriously?)? Or for the Garrison captain?_

_As the sparring began, the captain surprised him with more skill than he expected from a Garrison soldier. He was quick and athletic, but still no match for his speed and strength. As Levi gradually escalated the intensity of the match, he could feel the restraints on his anger and emotions start to loosen, until finally, as Miller happened to land a hard blow to his ribs, the restraints snapped altogether._

_Levi shot forward, on the offensive and landing blows one after the other without giving Miller a chance to recover. At first Miller tried to land some blows of his own, but those were effortlessly deflected by Levi, and eventually Miller was backing up, using all his energy defensively, trying in vain to deflect the increasingly powerful blows being delivered with rapid-fire precision._

_Levi heard Angel call his name, but was in full pursuit of his prey, the cause of all his current emotional turmoil, and wasn’t going to stop. His body moved with a fluidity and grace born of instinct and animal survival. He dimly registered that the surrounding trainees, who had been previously raucous in their shouts and cheers, had since fallen silent as he pressed the Garrison captain harder and harder._

_Finally, he threw a powerful right hook and heard the satisfying crunch of bone and the untamed predator in him reveled in the warm spray of blood across his face. As he paused for a moment, the sound of Angel screaming his name broke through the haze in his brain and he stepped back and looked at the scene before him as if he didn’t know where he was._

_Miller was on his hands and knees in the dirt, breathing heavily with blood streaming steadily from his shattered nose. Angel was on her knees beside him trying to assess the damage, and the surrounding trainees were silent as they all looked at Levi._

_Levi’s chest was heaving, not from physical exertion, but rather from the emotions that had managed to escape his walls. Shit, what had he done? Then the blood froze in his veins and his heart stopped at the cold look Angel leveled at him as she looked up from her position bent over Miller. The accusation and disappointment in her eyes cut him to the bone and he took another step back, rubbing his hand across the ache in his chest. Sweeping his cold gaze over the surrounding trainees, he growled in a low tone, “Get back to work.” Then he turned on his heel and walked away, wiping the blood off his face._

Most of the trainees scrambled to obey their captain, Angel noted grimly. One, however, moved toward her to help get Riche on his feet. “Thanks, Reiner.” She offered the tall blond a weak smile as he hauled Riche up and silently headed toward the infirmary, supporting most of the captain’s weight as Riche put his arm across Reiner’s broad shoulders.

They limped along for a few minutes before Riche broke the silence. His voice had lost its melodic tone as the tissues in his face and nose began swelling.

“Well, I’ve learned two things today. One, your captain DOES mind all the time you’ve been spending with me. And two, your captain is a BADASS.” He offered her a lopsided smile that looked almost gruesome through the blood still dripping from his nose. She shook her head as a snort escaped her lips. How can he be so blasé about what happened? Apparently this was considered an appropriate response to whatever unspoken conversation had passed between the two men. Challenge issued and answered. Men! Her eyes met Reiner’s over the limping form of Riche and the younger man wisely lowered his gaze without comment.

But Riche’s easygoing acceptance to what happened didn’t lessen her anger at Levi at all. She was still seething an hour later after seeing Riche comfortable in his quarters, his nose set and bandaged by the doctors in the infirmary. Already word had spread of Captain Levi beating the shit out of the Garrison captain and the surreptitious looks thrown her way as she strode through the halls toward Levi’s office did not help her temper.

She pushed open the door to Levi’s office more forcefully than she intended and was brought up short by the sight of Levi leaning against the front of his desk with his arms crossed over his chest, clearly waiting for her. She quietly closed the door and stood waiting, chest heaving with suppressed emotion. Levi was motionless, his eyes on the ground between them.

After an agonizingly long time where neither spoke, Angel huffed out an angry breath and headed toward the bedroom. As she went past his motionless body, Levi whispered, “I didn’t mean for that to happen,” still not meeting her eyes.

Angel paused for a moment midstride, clenching her jaw angrily. “That’s not good enough,” and she kept walking into the bedroom. Once inside, she stopped for a minute to collect her thoughts, breathing deep to try to control her anger. She had been hoping for an apology or explanation from him, but truthfully, she didn’t know if she was ready to hear those from him, even if he had offered. She just needed some space to clear her head. Pulling a bag from the closet, she threw some clothes and other necessities inside before heading back out to the office.

Levi was just where she had left him, leaning against the desk. He finally looked at her and his eyes widened slightly at the sight of the bag she had slung over her shoulder.

“I don’t know where all this came from,” she stated as she paused at the door. “I have never given you any reason to doubt me.” She gave him one last look before she opened the door and walked out, not bothering to close the door behind her.

Levi’s heart thundered in his chest and his breathing hitched. “It wasn’t you I was doubting,” he whispered to the gap in the door. Suddenly he turned and with a single swift motion swept everything off his desk, sending papers and ink bottles flying.

“Fuck!”


	2. Forgiven

Angel knocked on the door and waited patiently for a response from within. After a minute, she rolled her eyes and knocked again. Finally, she heard a mumbled response from inside. Taking that as permission to come in, she opened the heavy wooden door to see Hanje behind her desk, behind mountains of papers and notebooks and research books, clearly engrossed in whatever she was reading. Angel made her way over to the couch against the wall and, after lifting a pile of papers and books to the floor, she flopped down onto the worn cushions, leaning her head back against the wall.

After a few minutes, Hanje looked up from her papers to focus directly on Angel, as if she knew all along she was there. Which she probably did. Angel knew her former roommate could process multiple inputs at one time, even if she didn’t outwardly acknowledge all of them.

“Can I stay here for a few days?” Angel cut directly to the chase as was always better to do with Hanje before she got distracted again. “And no, I don’t want to talk about it.” After all, if Hanje had been buried in her research here in her office for the better part of the day, she was unaware of what had happened at the training grounds. So far. But Angel knew that would change as soon as Hanje walked outside her office door.

Hanje nodded and didn’t seem surprised at the request, which made Angel pause. But right now her head was pounding from suppressed grief, anger, hurt, and concern for Riche, and she didn’t want to have a big discussion about her relationship.

“Thanks.” Angel tiredly got up to put her bag in Hanje’s bedroom, aware of Hanje’s eyes following her the entire way.

She spent most of the afternoon hidden away in Hanje’s office reading. However, as it got close to dinnertime, Angel realized she had skipped lunch due to the events of the morning, and she was hungry. She pulled Hanje away from her research and forced her to head to the mess hall with her. Upon entering the hall, Angel scanned the room and, with relief, took note of the absence of both Levi and Riche. She also noted the whispers and pointed looks sent in her direction, causing her appetite to diminish. Hanje, ever observant once you got her head out of her books, gave her a speculative look before heading over to their usual table where Mike, Nifa, Nanaba, and Petra were already seated. As Angel and Hanje approached, the conversation stopped as they all looked at her. Hanje couldn’t take it anymore.

“What the hell happened? Someone clue me in.”

Mike and Nanaba exchanged a look before Mike replied, “Levi snapped and beat the shit out of the Garrison captain this morning.”

Hanje glanced over at Angel, “Well that explains a few things.” Angel shrugged. Hanje continued, “How’s Captain Miller?”

“He was resting in his rooms after he had been seen in the infirmary. I was going to take him something to eat when we finish here,” Angel replied.

Petra spoke up then, looking directly at Angel, “Do you really think that is a good idea, considering?” Her tone was slightly hostile.

Angel looked hard at her friend, “What is that supposed to mean, Petra?”

“Well, it’s obvious that Captain Levi was provoked by all the time you’ve been spending with Captain Miller.”

“Shit, Petra.” Angel heard Mike mutter under his breath.

Angel clenched her jaw and tried to suppress her anger at Petra, knowing that the younger woman idolized Levi and thought he did no wrong.

Appetite all but forgotten now, she rose to her feet and said loud enough for the nosy soldiers sitting nearby and straining to catch the conversation at their table, “I am not going to justify to you or anyone else here that I was simply doing my job at the behest of Commander Smith. Nor am I going to explain my relationship with Levi, and why he was completely out of line this morning. You’re all going to draw your own conclusions anyway. And yes, Petra, I am going to go see how Captain Miller is doing. Because that is what a concerned friend would do. If Levi doesn’t like it, that is between him and I.” With that, she turned and headed into the kitchen to put together some food to take to Riche. She hadn’t yet made it to the kitchen door when she heard a deep voice call her name, as silence descended on the mess hall.

“Hudson, I’d like to see you in my office in an hour.”

Angel sighed heavily before turning to salute the commander, who had just entered the hall and was standing in the doorway, drawing the attention of every soldier within. “Yes, sir.” She then turned and walked into the kitchen.

A few minutes later, she was walking down the quiet hallway toward the guest quarters. She breathed a sigh of relief at the lack of people as she stopped in front of the first door on the right. Balancing the tray she held in her hands on her hip, she knocked on the worn wooden door. After a moment, the door opened and Riche let her in to the dim room.

“I brought you some dinner. Wow, you look terrible.”

Riche smiled, although it looked more like a grimace. The skin surrounding both his eyes was a deep purple and there was also a nasty bruise on the side of his jaw. His nose was heavily bandaged, but the swelling underneath was obvious.

“Thanks, I feel terrible too.” Angel cringed at the gravelly twang affecting his normally smooth baritone. “I’m hungry but I’m not sure how much I’ll be able to taste or eat.” As he said this, he rubbed his sore jaw.

“Well, I put together some soft foods for you: mashed potatoes, creamed corn, and such.”

“Oh good, just was my masculine ego needs after getting my ass handed to me this morning: food fit for an invalid. I think those were my grandpa’s favorite foods after he lost most of his teeth.” But he spoke with a self-deprecating smile that put Angel at ease as she set the tray on a nearby table.

“I am so sorry, Riche. I don’t even know what to say about this.”

“Don’t worry about it.” He walked over to the tray and poked around at the plates. “Your commander came to see me earlier to see if I was going to press charges or seek disciplinary actions through the military.” Angel’s head snapped up at that. “I’m not, relax!”

Angel sighed. “You would definitely have every right to do that. I’m not sure I understand why you are being so understanding about Levi’s behavior.”

Riche toyed with the silverware on the tray before looking directly at Angel. “Because I understand where he was coming from. If I had a treasure like you, and I felt that relationship was threatened, I would probably kick someone’s ass too.”

“But that’s the problem! He never talked to me about it, never gave me a chance to explain that he didn’t need to worry. And why should I have to explain that to him?! I have never given him any reason to doubt me! Nothing justifies what he did, Riche. He could have seriously hurt you.” Angel took a breath and tried to rein herself back in, realizing she was letting her emotions get the better of her, sure that Riche didn’t want to hear details of her personal relationship.

Riche knew that Angel wasn’t knocking his abilities with her concern. She was stating a fact. Previously, he had thought the moniker, Humanity’s Strongest Soldier, was simply a courtesy title bestowed upon the captain because he was exceptional in battle. But after being on the receiving end of the kind of power and skills Levi possessed, he thought there might be some truth to the nickname after all.

Although he would love to sit back and let the captain sabotage his own relationship so that Riche could be there to pick up the pieces, he knew that there was no way a new relationship could start under such circumstances. He sighed. He was an idiot. “Talk to him, Angel. He obviously cares for you, even if he has a painful way of showing it.”

“I can’t. Not right now.” Changing the subject, “Are you still leaving tomorrow?”

Riche eyed her for a moment, debating whether he should push the subject of Levi or not, before he shrugged and let her change the subject. “No, I think I’ll wait another day. I’m not sure I can take the ride all the way back to Garrison headquarters. It would be very undignified if I vomited all over my horse. Besides, I’ll need another day to come up with a good story to justify my face.”

“Excellent! I’ll come see you tomorrow. Have you ever played a game called chess?”

After leaving Riche to his meal, Angel headed down the hallway toward Erwin’s office. This was a conversation she was definitely not looking forward to. Hearing Erwin’s command to enter after knocking, she pushed open the door to see Erwin sitting behind his large desk. In spite of his relaxed demeanor as he reclined back in his chair, the atmosphere in the room was tense. She also saw that Levi was seated in one of the two chairs in front of the desk. Erwin motioned her to take the remaining chair and as she lowered herself to sit, she glanced at Levi. His gaze was straight ahead and his jaw was clenched with tension. She saw his hands curled into fists on the arm of his chair and she noted the scraped knuckles. A fresh surge of anger made her look forward again and narrow her eyes at Erwin.

“So, anyone want to tell me what happened on the training grounds today?” Erwin started conversationally, looking from Levi to Angel.

A muscle ticked in Levi’s jaw and Angel shifted her gaze to the window behind Erwin, resolutely pressing her lips together.

Erwin looked from one to the other again, then heaved a sigh in the silence of the room.

“Fortunately, I anticipated this level of cooperation from both of you.” At this, he paused to level a sardonic look at them. “So, I already took the liberty of interviewing several of the trainees that were there, and then talked to Captain Miller himself.”

At that, Levi’s implacable gaze flickered only slightly, but it was enough for Erwin to pounce. Not taking his cool blue eyes off of Levi, Erwin leaned forward in his chair and addressed Angel. “Captain Miller had nothing but compliments for you, Angel. He praised your knowledge and skill with the horses, and commended you on your graciousness and hospitality. He said you were completely professional throughout his visit and the Survey Corps should be proud of such an outstanding soldier. Personally, I want to thank you for doing the job I set before you in such an admirable manner. We all know that the Survey Corps doesn’t need any more black marks against it in the eyes of the public, or the other military branches.”

Angel was nonplussed as Erwin never looked at her throughout this entire speech. But rather his eyes bored into Levi. “You…you’re welcome, sir?” she offered hesitantly.

For a brief moment he glanced at her and offered her a smile. “You’re dismissed.”

Angel’s eyes widened and she glanced at Levi again. His eyes were fixed resolutely ahead and his jaw was so tight she was afraid his teeth would shatter. Stubborn man.

She stood and saluted the two men, although only one acknowledged it, before she turned and walked calmly out the door, determined not to bolt like a child who just escaped getting grounded.

Silence descended upon Erwin’s office like a heavy blanket as soon as the echoes of Angel’s departure faded away. Erwin clasped his hands together on the desktop.

“Captain Miller is not going to press any charges or seek any military disciplinary actions. Count yourself lucky.” Erwin exhaled heavily. “Levi, what happened? It’s not like you to lose control.”

At this, Levi finally levelled his hard gaze at Erwin. “So it’s okay if I beat the shit out of someone, as long as it’s at your behest? I must have forgotten my job as your personal mercenary.”

Erwin’s heavy brows drew together sharply at Levi’s acidic tone and biting words. “Your job is to do as you are ordered.” He softened his tone, trying to speak to the other man as a friend, not a superior. “This incident had nothing to do with orders. This was personal. Levi….”

But Levi cut him off, “You’re right, it’s personal. So stay out of it. It’s none of your business.”

At that, Erwin’s patience snapped. He rose from his seat and leaned forward on his hands, ice blue eyes snapping fire. “It becomes my business when it affects the Survey Corps, and this could have been a big goddamn mess!” he thundered. “Resolve it!”

It was early the next morning, as Riche was pulling on a shirt getting ready to head to breakfast, when he heard a knock at his door. Thinking it was Angel coming to check on him, he pulled it open and the smile froze on his face when he saw Captain Levi Ackerman on the other side. Riche stood back and silently indicated for Levi to enter his room.

“You look like shit,” Levi commented as he walked past him.

Riche rolled his eyes. “Sorry my face got in the way of your unreasonable anger.”

Levi turned and cocked an eyebrow at him. “Unreasonable, eh?”

Riche had the grace to drop his gaze briefly under the other man’s direct stare. “Maybe not totally unreasonable.” Then he looked back up and met Levi’s eyes unflinchingly.

Angel was right, Levi thought. This guy was definitely foolhardy enough to be Survey Corps material. Levi had to admit that under different circumstances, he would probably like Captain Miller.

The two men looked at each other across the expanse of the room. Then Levi nodded and gestured to Riche’s face. “I didn’t mean for that to happen, if you must know.”

“Your apology is shit, if you must know. But I get it.”

The sight of Levi and Riche entering the mess hall together a few minutes later caused a brief silence to descend among the soldiers already there for an early breakfast. The two men nodded to each other briefly, then headed to tables in different directions. Riche sought out Mike and his squad, while Levi headed over to Erwin’s table, throwing Erwin an insolent look as he sat down. He felt Erwin’s heavy stare for a long moment as he poured himself a cup of tea, before Erwin went back to his conversation with Hanje, ignoring Levi.

A few minutes later, Levi happened to look up from his breakfast to see Angel enter the mess hall. Under his lashes, he watched as she paused at the door, clearly evaluating the room. He held his breath as she turned her head to where Riche sat with Mike, then to where he sat with Erwin. She continued to scan the room and finally headed off in another direction altogether to find a spot with Dresden and several of the other soldiers from the 103rd training class. Levi counted himself lucky.

Angel drifted through the next couple of days, holding on to her anger and hurt. It was easy enough to stay distracted as the training regimen was intensified to get the new training class ready for their first mission. Angel was busy working closely with them and she was impressed by the talent the 104th had. There were several trainees with real potential and it gave her hope for humanity that they had chosen the Survey Corps. She reported daily directly to Erwin on their progress. Thankfully Erwin chose not to bring up her personal problems during these meetings, although she could see the lingering question in his eyes. It was also easy to avoid Levi as he spent most of his time getting his squad ready for a new upcoming mission as well. Luckily their paths did not cross much.

Evenings were more difficult. She found it easier to keep her thoughts from Levi if she sought out the company of friends. Nanaba was always good for a drink and conversation, as was Hanje. Both friends tried to keep her mind occupied and only occasionally tried to get her to talk about her feelings regarding Levi. They could see she was miserable, but she stubbornly refused to give in. It didn’t help that Levi appeared just as stubborn, but both women suspected that had to do more with the fact that he didn’t know how to breech the gap between himself and Angel. It was clear Angel was going to have to take the first step, but her friends were unclear how to get that to happen.

A few nights after Riche left, Angel found herself restlessly pacing around Hanje’s bedroom and office. She had gotten ready for bed hours ago, but sleep continued to allude her. She had finished her novel the night before and found herself wishing for Hanje’s presence and distracting conversation, or Nanaba’s wit and dry sense of humor. But Hanje was busy working on her research and likely wouldn’t be back until very late, if she came back at all, and Nanaba was busy with Mike, doing things Angel would rather not think about at the moment. Picking up a book from Hanje’s desk, she opened it up to a random page only to find gruesome diagrams of what appeared to be the internal organs of the digestive system. Snapping the book closed and replacing it on the desk, she made another circuit of the messy room, carefully avoiding the piles of books and papers. Her thoughts dredged up her conversation with Riche during his last night with the Corps.

_Riche considered his next move on the chess board. Angel was gratified to find that he was familiar with the game as she set up the board Levi had given her as a gift. She was currently winning their second game of the evening. As he moved his knight, Riche spoke up._

_“Your captain came to see me this morning.”_

_“So I heard.” Angel was still in no mood to discuss Levi, but word traveled fast through the Corps and several people had told her about their appearance together in the mess hall that morning. She moved her bishop to threaten his queen._

_“He apologized.” Riche hesitated. “Well, sort of. But I understood his meaning.” He took her bishop with his queen._

_At this Angel snorted. Levi was not one to apologize, so she could only imagine how the conversation went. At Erwin’s insistence, no doubt, which nullified things in her mind. She moved her rook._

_“He cares for you,” Riche continued, no longer looking at the game._

_“Checkmate.” Angel studiously avoided looking at him._

_Riche threw up his hands in defeat. “I give up. You know, our time here is so limited and undefined, it seems foolish to waste it on trivial things. I don’t believe chess is my thing.” He leveled a look at Angel to make sure she understood his meaning._

She paced across the room again. Maybe Riche was right. Why was she holding on to this anger at Levi? She sighed into the quiet of the room, not knowing the answer to that question. Another book might be the answer to distracting her, thinking of the pile of books she had to read on her side of the bed in the rooms she shared with Levi. She knew that Levi had not been spending much time there, but rather spent the late nights wandering the halls, working off his insomnia. So it might be safe to venture into their rooms for a couple of books.

Throwing a sweater on over her pajamas, she went into the cold hallway and walked the short distance to Levi’s office and rooms. Pausing outside the door, she noted that there was no light coming from underneath. Good, he was not there. Pushing the door open, she let herself into his dark office. She didn’t bother to light a candle as the light coming in from the full moon hanging low over the trees outside the window was sufficient to light her way.

As she stopped to pick up a stray piece of paper that had blown off his desk, she thought she heard a low moan coming from the bedroom. She paused, waiting to hear it again, but all was quiet.

Padding quietly to the doorway that led to the bedroom, she froze as she took in the sight in front of her. The glow from the full moon came into the window of the bedroom and cast a silvery light over man lying on the bed.

Levi was bathed in a pool of moonlight as he lay on top of the covers. His only clothing was his shirt, unbuttoned all the way and exposing the beautiful planes of his torso, and his underwear, the snug boxer briefs currently pushed down as his hand was wrapped around his engorged cock, stroking the length leisurely.

Angel was mesmerized by the alluring picture he made: eyes closed as his head tilted back against his pillow, bare chest rising and falling as his breathing deepened and increased with each stroke of his hand. A groan escaped his lips as his hands increased the pressure and speed, pausing for a moment to circle over the tip, spreading the wetness leaking from the slit there. Angel noticed her own breathing had increased and warmth was spreading through her body, pooling low in her belly. Almost against her will, she moved closer to the bed, enthralled. 

“Angel.” The whispered word drifted on the air of the darkened room. Angel thought he had seen her, but she quickly realized his eyes were still closed. As she released a shuttered breath, realizing he was fantasizing about her while he stroked himself to pleasure, Levi’s eyes opened and he turned his head to look directly at her.

Levi wondered if he had conjured her from his fantasies as he opened his eyes and saw Angel standing halfway between the bed and the door. The erotic tension building in his balls escalated as he watched her walk closer to the bed. He could tell she was turned on by the flush in her cheeks, easily visible in the bright moonlight, and agitated way her chest was rising and falling with each breath between parted lips.

His hand continued working his cock as he watched Angel, seeking oblivion in his body. Suddenly, a wave of ecstasy crashed over him and his body seized as he threw his head back, a guttural groan ripped from his throat as his back arched and he felt his body release, coating his stomach with the evidence of his pleasure.

Angel bit her lip to keep herself from responding to his climax. Her whole body was hot and her skin felt too tight. The ache between her legs was unbearable as she covered the remaining distance to the bed. Levi still lay in the pool of moonlight, his body heaving in the aftershocks of his orgasm. She reached forward and ran her finger through the pool of semen on his stomach, feeling proprietary. This belonged to her, in her. Levi finally recovered enough to open his eyes and watch her as she raised her finger and touched it to the tip of her tongue, reveling in his taste. She pulled up one of the open halves of his shirt to wipe off his abdomen and then let her fingers linger on the ridges of his muscles, tracing the grooves and hollows lightly until she leaned down and followed the same path with her tongue, tasting the musky flavor that was unique to him and so familiar to her.

Levi’s eyes slid shut again at the wet heat of her tongue on his skin. He reached out with his hand and lightly touched her hair, sliding his fingers into the soft waves as she breathed in his scent. When Angel pulled back she could feel his abdominal muscles tighten under her hand as he levered himself up to capture her lips, his hand still tangled in her hair to hold her still to his desperate ministrations.

Gods, she had missed him, she thought, as he deepened the intimacy of the kiss. When he finally let her up for air, she paused, resting her forehead against his as her anger evaporated. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

At this, he started and pulled back to look her in the eye. “What the fuck for? I was the one out of line.”

“For making you doubt me. I should have been more sensitive about the situation.”

Levi heaved a deep breath. “No, I’m the insecure asshole who can’t handle himself.” He stroked his hand up her cheek and rested his forehead against hers again. “I’m sorry.”

Angel slid his shirt all the way off his shoulders, dropping it to the floor. She leaned in to stroke his lips with her tongue. As he opened to deepen the kiss, Angel climbed on the bed, pressing him back down to the pillows while she caged his nearly naked body in under her. She broke away from his kiss briefly to sit up and remove her sweater and shirt. She leaned forward again to pepper kisses along his jaw to the sensitive spot just behind his ear. His warm hands roamed restlessly over her bare torso as he sought to increase their skin to skin contact. Angel resisted, holding herself above his body without touching, knees on either side of his hips. He growled dangerously as she nipped that spot behind his ear with her teeth before lowering her hips to brush against his, bringing her core in direct contact with his cock. Still wearing her shorts, she rolled her hips against him, dragging a low groan from him.

Angel could sense the violence in him simmering just below the surface, aching to be set free. He wanted to take her, own her, possess her, mark her as his. It vibrated underneath the hot skin of his torso and could be felt in the painful grip of his fingers on her thighs. The molten lead gray of his gaze narrowed aggressively on her face. Normally, she reveled in the release of his more violent nature. But not tonight. It was his lack of control over his violent side that had gotten them into this mess. Tonight he had to keep himself in control. And he knew it. She watched him struggle as he clenched his jaw. Finally, she took pity on him and leaned down again to whisper in his ear, “I will always be yours. Don’t ever forget it.”

The painful grip of his hands on her thighs relaxed as he slid his hands up to grab the waistband of her shorts and slide them down off her legs. Angel expected him to guide her hips to his once she was naked. Instead, he maneuvered her farther up the bed as he slid down her body. Encouraging her to spread her knees wider, he brought her weeping core to his mouth, where he began a slow and thorough exploration with his lips and tongue.

Angel’s body began to shudder at the pleasure he was coaxing from her as he nibbled and licked and sucked. Her thighs began to shake with the effort to keep herself up on all fours above him as she felt herself climbing towards that peak. It didn’t take long before the wave of pleasure hit her full force and she threw her head back, groaning Levi’s name.

While Angel tried to find her breath after her explosive orgasm, Levi slid out from underneath her and entered her from behind in one fluid motion. Gritting his teeth from the tight feel of her wet heat and the tremors from the aftershocks of her climax, he paused for a moment. Resting one hand on the soft skin of her hip, he ran his other hand through his damp hair before dragging the back of his hand across his lips.

By then, Angel had recovered and was growing restless at his lack of movement behind her. Looking at him over her shoulder, she shimmied against him, pushing back. He hissed as the movement drove him deeper and quickly gripped her other hip to regain control. He then gave a slow roll of his hips.

“Shit, yes, that feels good.”

Levi kept up a slow steady pace, not in any hurry to bring things to a close.

Angel lowered her upper body down to the bed by collapsing her arms and resting her cheek on the pillow. This increased the angle between them and they both groaned as Levi’s next thrust drove him deeper yet again.

While Levi did enjoy the view from this position as he ran his hand down Angel’s back to her rounded ass, he decided that he needed to see her face, perhaps seeking a deeper connection after their days of discord. He pulled away from her body and turned her over. The constriction in his chest eased a bit at the welcoming smile on her face as she held out her arms to him. And as he lowered his body between her thighs, sinking into her again, the pain in his chest dissolved completely as she wrapped her arms and legs around him, holding him tightly against her breast.

After a moment of enjoying the feel of her warm, strong body wrapped around his, Levi pulled back to lever his weight onto his arms, so he could see her face as he began to move again.

Angel was struck by the tenderness in his gaze as he leaned down to give her a gentle, almost chaste, kiss. Then his gaze turned dark and possessive as he began to increase the strength and tempo of his thrusts. Her hands slid along the sweat-slick skin of his back, feeling the muscles flex with his movements, feeling the restrained power under her fingertips. As she arched her back, he ran his tongue up the curve of her throat, setting his teeth to the lobe of her ear, all tenderness forgotten. Her body began to quicken again and she knew she was close to the edge once more, his harsh breathing in her ear sending chills up and down her spine.

“Come for me,” he hoarsely commanded while he gripped her hip hard, locking their bodies together as he jerked and spilled inside her. Angel gasped his name as she crested another wave of pleasure, holding his heaving body tight against her own.

The next morning, Angel headed out to the maneuvering course to watch as Levi was preparing to work with some of the trainees on advanced movements with ODM gear. She never failed to be awed by his talent in the air. It was mesmerizing to observe his graceful, deadly precision; his masterful control of his body and his blades as he launched and spun, flipped and dove, all while taking out his targets with powerful and efficient strokes. It made her body warm as it reminded her of the masterful way he had in the privacy of their bedroom.

As she leaned against the large oak tree on the edge of the course, she sensed a presence beside her. Looking over, she saw that Erwin had come to stand with her, his eyes on Levi. “It’s beautiful to watch, isn’t it? That’s what I thought when I first saw him in the Underground.” Angel felt a slight blush tinge her cheeks, hoping Erwin wasn’t able to detect her wayward thoughts about Levi’s athletic abilities. She turned her head into the slight breeze to cool her heated skin.

“He takes my breath away,” she replied, a little breathlessly, “He’s so graceful and controlled, but at the same time, wild and untamed.”

Erwin dropped his gaze to Angel’s profile. “Oh, I think he’s been tamed.”

Angel looked at Erwin doubtfully, shaking her head. “Tch, come on Erwin, this is Levi we are talking about.” With that, she went back to watching Levi as he landed effortlessly on an upper tree branch.

Erwin continued to look at her graceful profile, and he was astounded that she had no idea of her effect on Levi. But then he shouldn’t be surprised. After all these years, she was still clueless as to the effect she had on him.


End file.
